Project Details
Microwave SQUID Multiplexing and Cryogenics
Subject Area
Nuclear and Elementary Particle Physics, Quantum Mechanics, Relativity, Fields
Term
from 2015 to 2024
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 254114301
The investigation of the electron neutrino mass by means of the calorimetric measurement of the electron capture spectrum of 163Ho requires the operation of large MMC based detector arrays. Within the first funding phase of the Research Unit "ECHo", we have developed a scalable multiplexing technique for realizing the readout of these large detector arrays. The present project aims to use this multiplexing technique to implement a readout system for ECHo-100k that will use about 6000 individual detectors to investigate the electron neutrino mass on a 2 eV/c2 level. The development, realization and operation of this readout system requires the design, fabrication and testing of the multiplexer devices as well as the integration of them into the overall detector setup which will be developed in close collaboration with WG2 and WG4. In addition, we will install and commission the cryogenic microwave setups consisting among other devices of the superconducting coaxial cables, the HEMT amplifier as well as the cryogenic circulator. Another quite important task is the commission of the software defined radio based room-temperature readout electronics which operates the actual multiplexer devices. The project further aims to pave the way for performing an even larger 163Ho based experiment in the future. For this, we will perform a dedicated R&D program to explore the suitability of hybrid multiplexing techniques, to lower the noise of the readout system as well as to develop new superconducting microwave devices to increase the cost efficiency of the overall readout system.
DFG Programme
Research Units
Co-Investigator
Professor Dr. Sebastian Kempf